How to Prevent Dental Emergencies?

There is a saying "Precaution is Better than Cure," that means taking care of your health to prevent the occurrence of the different illnesses is better than getting hospitalized later to take treatments to get rid of your illnesses. It is very rightly said. 

The same thing applies when it comes to dental care. If you want yourself and your family members to be orally healthy for a longer time, it is very important to take precautionary steps instead of waiting for the illness to occur. It is so because precautions prevent the occurrence of dental illnesses. 

Let's talk about dental emergencies and what they actually are and how you can prevent those dental emergencies from occurring. Let's take a look below. 

What are Dental Emergencies and What Are Not?

Generally, people get confused about recognizing dental emergencies which further creates problems in taking the right action. Therefore, it is very important to rightly understand what exactly dental emergencies are and what is not so that you can take action accordingly. If you don't know this term, take a look at the below-mentioned definition. 

Dental Emergencies- Any dental issue that is potentially serious and life-threatening requires immediate dental treatment to stop bleeding and alleviate severe pain and infection is considered a dental emergency.

Putting in simple terms, any dental issue that puts you in an uncontrollable situation (like severe pain and gums bleeding), and requires immediate dental treatment is a dental emergency. If you ever find yourself in a dental emergency, immediately contact emergency dentists in McKinney as this is the first and foremost action you need to take after finding yourself in a dental emergency.  

Normal Dental Issues- Unlike dental emergencies, any dental issue that can be controlled or bear by the patient for a few hours and days (such as cosmetic dental problems) is not a normal dental issue and not a dental emergency. 

Now, after reading the above-mentioned definitions, you must have an idea about what dental emergencies are and what are not. 

Here are some of the most common examples of dental emergencies. Let's take a look. 

• Severe Pain 

• Gum Infections 

• Gum Bleeding

• Tooth Sensitivity

• Abscessed Gums 

• Broken Teeth

• Gum Swelling 

• Dislocated Jaw

• Mouth Sores

• Knocked-Out Tooth

• Tooth Warm

Some of the most common examples of non-emergency or normal dental issues. Let's take a look.

• Discolored Teeth

• Stained Teeth

• Crooked & Crowded Teeth

• Unaligned Teeth

• Bites Disorder (Upper Bites, Lower Bites, Underbites, etc.)

• And other Cosmetic and Orthodontic dental issues

How to Avoid Dental Emergencies?

Different dental emergencies occurred due to different reasons. For example, deficiency of Vitamin C and Vitamin K and improper flossing, improper teeth brushing, chewing tobacco, and cuts/abrasion from foods are the biggest reasons for gum bleeding. If we work on these causes and ensure we do that appropriately, we can definitely prevent the occurrence of gum bleeding. The same thing applies to other dental emergencies.

So, the best way to prevent the occurrence of dental emergencies is to stay proactive towards your oral hygiene and be cautious about all those causes that can lead to dental emergencies.

Do routine dental check-ups by meeting your concerned dentist at regular intervals. It is very important with the perspective of keeping your oral health in an optimal condition and keeping oral diseases away from you. During your visits to your dentist, your dentist will check up your overall oral health by examining loose fillings, crowns, tooth decay, tooth worms, infection, and gum diseases. If he/she finds any flaw in your oral, he/she will suggest to you what you should do. Of course, you will either have to take some treatments or some medicines as well as you have to do follow-ups during your treatment period.    

Also, do not forget to properly take care of your oral health. It is much more important than anything else. To care for your oral health, simply, you will have to follow the general oral care tips including:

• Properly brush your teeth two times a day

• Properly rinse your mouth after eating and drinking

• Do flossing to remove small food particles from the gaps of your teeth

• Brush and floss after eating non-vegetarian foods

• Use mouth freshener to keep your mouth fresh 

• Do not forget to clean your tongue

• Be gentle while brushing your teeth as hard brushing can lead to gum injuries

• Use a soft-bristle toothbrush with a fluoride toothpaste that is approved by the American Dental Association

• Avoid alcohol-containing and acidic drinks 

• Avoid tobacco-containing products

• Don’t eat too many sugary items like chocolates  

If you follow the above-mentioned general oral care tips, you will certainly keep dental emergencies away from you. 

Now, let’s talk about those dental emergencies that cannot be controlled by following oral care tips. 

Dental Trauma

When a tooth gets chipped or knocked out, it is called dental trauma. Descriptively, it is a physical injury to teeth, gums, and soft tissues of the mouth such as lips and tongue. Generally, the most common causes of dental trauma are accidents, including falls & slips, vehicle collisions, and collision or fall during playing an outdoor sport. In some cases, violent incidents such as fighting or physical abuse are the causes of dental trauma. 

Clearly, we don’t have control over dental trauma and it can happen anywhere and anytime without giving indications. That’s why preventing dental trauma is a bit difficult, but yes, we can take some safety precautions to keep dental emergencies away from us. Here are some safety tips:

• Wear a mouthguard while playing an outdoor sport

• Always keep a first-aid box in your vehicle 

• Always try to protect yourself as much as possible when you find yourself in a collision, fall, or slip

What To Do When You Meet A Dental Emergency?

When meeting with a dental emergency, most times people panic and get confused about what to do and what not to do and whether to meet an emergency dentist or schedule an appointment with a dentist. Some people take it very lightly considering it a minor dental problem while some people do panic and take inappropriate decisions. Both are inappropriate actions as these actions can worsen the situation. 

Generally, when you don’t have enough knowledge and understanding about how to wisely deal with different dental emergencies, you commit these mistakes. And therefore, it is very crucial to learn the first-aid treatments and the dos and don’ts for different dental emergencies. These learnings help you in making wise decisions and keeping away the dangers from you.  

In this comprehensive guide, you will learn what you should do in different dental emergencies. But, before we move to that part, let’s discuss what should be considered as dental emergencies. It is very crucial to rightly recognize dental emergencies as it helps in rightly taking early actions.

What Are Considered as Dental Emergencies? 

According to the American Dental Association (ADA), any dental situation which is potentially life-threatening and requires immediate treatments are dental emergencies. 

Putting in general terms, any dental problem that puts you in severe pain and you cannot afford to wait for a few hours or few days for treatment are dental emergencies. 

Here are some of the most common examples of dental emergencies:

• Severe toothache 

• Bleeding gums 

• Fractured teeth & jaw 

• Dislocated jaw

• Abscesses 

• Pain while chewing 

• Inflammation around teeth

• Accidental trauma to teeth

These dental situations are considered as dental emergencies and must be treated right away.

What to Do During Dental Emergency?  

Call Emergency Dentist Right Away- Whatever the dental emergency is, this is the most common action you must go for right away. Probably, finding the most suitable emergency dentist near you can be a little tougher, but you will have to find out the best local emergency dentist quickly so that you can get emergency dental treatment quickly. 

Today, we all have the internet and you can take help from it to find a local emergency dentist in no time. If you are a resident of McKinney TX, you need not worry as you can easily find many highly qualified emergency dentist in McKinney TX. 

Rightly Recognize the Dental Problem- Rightly recognizing the dental problem is very crucial with the perspective of taking the right action right away. Now, the question is; How to rightly recognize the different emergency dental problems?

It is actually not a big deal. You can easily recognize what kind of emergency dental problem you have. If you face any difficulty to rightly recognize the dental problem, it is better to wait for the emergency dentist to come and make an inspection. 

Severe Toothache- Rinse With Salt Water- Whenever you suffer from severe toothache, rinse with salt water, and repeat the same three to four times a day. It is one of the best home remedies to treat severe toothache. Of course, it cannot treat the problem, but yes, it can give you relief from extreme toothache. Therefore, it is the best way to deal with severe toothache. 

In case, if saltwater does not work for you, the second option is to take a cold compress. It is another good way to treat severe pain. 

You can also apply these two instant dental treatments when you have swelling in your gums and jaw. These can reduce the swelling to some extent. 

 Broken Teeth- Immediately Visit the Emergency Dentist- Teeth can be broken while playing an outdoor sport, meeting a road accident, and slipping or falling on the floor. If you face this dental emergency, you should immediately visit the emergency dentist as he/she only can provide you an instant treatment. However, you should not forget to collect and carry the broken parts of your teeth to the dentist.  

If your gums and jaws are bleeding due to the breaking of teeth, take preventive treatments as soon as possible. Rinse your mouth with cold water and apply some preventive home remedies.

Apart from these dental emergencies, if you meet any dental emergencies, you should not try to do much by yourself, rather you should immediately visit the nearest emergency dentist. It would be a better approach. 

Types of Dental Emergencies and Their Instant Treatments

Dental emergencies refer to the dental problems that need instant treatment or an instant temporary aid. They cannot wait for a few hours for a dentist to come, examine the problem, and provide the treatment. They need to undergo an instant treatment otherwise the problem gets bigger and more critical as every minute passes. 

They can occur anytime and anywhere due to several different reasons. If they occur at midnight and on a holiday or weekend, then they can create worse situations because of the unavailability of dentists. Therefore, it is important to know how to deal with dental emergencies.  

You need to wisely act as soon as the dental emergency occurs. You cannot wait for the dentist because if you do so, the problem will get worse. It is important to provide first aid as soon as possible. For example, if your gums are bleeding and you have extreme toothache, the very first thing you need to do is; contact the emergency dentists in McKinney. Then you need to rinse your mouth with warm water. Keep warm water in your mouth for a few minutes. It will relax your gums’ muscles, stop bleeding, and reduce the level of pain. If there is swelling in your gums, you should take a cold compress from outside of your mouth. It will give instant relief. 

What Are Considered As Dental Emergencies? 

It is very important to understand what is a dental emergency and what’s not. There is a thin line difference between a standard dental issue and a dental emergency. Any dental problem that can be treated by scheduling an appointment or can wait for hours and days is a standard dental issue. While on the other hand, any dental issue that needs instant attention or first aid is a dental emergency. It includes extreme toothache, non-stop gum bleeding, cracked and broken teeth, gum swelling, mouth injury, etc. 

Putting in simple terms, if you are unable to have control in any of your dental problems whether it is a toothache and cracked teeth, it should be considered as a dental emergency. 

Dental Emergencies and Their Instant Treatment  

There are several different types of dental emergencies and if you want to know what those are and how to deal with them, the below-mentioned section is for you. Here you will learn about the most common dental emergencies and how to wisely deal with them. 

Toothache & Gum Bleeding-  These two are the most common dental emergencies. They can occur due to several different causes such as tooth decay, wobbly teeth, infection, teeth worms, and mouth injury. You should treat these dental emergencies following the instructions we mentioned above in this article. Doing so will help you a lot to get rid of extreme toothache, stop gum bleeding, and have some instant relaxation. Later, you can visit the emergency dental clinic for treatment. 

Cracked Teeth- Cracked teeth are a dental emergency when it causes extreme toothache and gum bleeding. Generally, it occurs during an accident when participating in a recreational activity, playing outdoor sports, meeting a road accident, slipping in the washroom or slippery surface, etc. It must be treated instantly. Again the same instructions you need to follow. You need to rinse your mouth with warm water or keep warm water in your mouth for a few minutes. If there is swelling, take a cold compress. Once you get some relaxation and feel okay, you should visit the nearest emergency dentist. 

Broken Teeth- An accident or mouth injury can cause broken teeth. If you notice a reddish flesh, a lump of the dental pulp, a broken line, and too much bleeding from the root on your teeth after meeting with an accident, that means there are very high chances that your teeth get broken. 

The very first thing you need to do is collect the broken pieces of your teeth. Then rinse your mouth and broken pieces of teeth. To stop bleeding, apply gauze on the bleeding area for 5-10 minutes. Then take a cold compress to reduce the effects of swelling. Once you feel good, visit the emergency dentist and get your full dental check-up done. 

Gums, Tongue, and Lips Injury- Gums injury and infection can occur due to using a hard-bristled brush and during a mouth injury. While tongue and lips, injury can occur due to meeting an accident and different bites problems including open bite, underbite, crossbite, deep bite, and crowding. These are minor dental emergencies until the cut in lips and tongue are large enough. 

If you cut your lips or tongue, just stay calm and rinse your mouth appropriately. You need not do too many things. Just visit the emergency dentist in your locality as soon as possible. The dentist will examine the dental problem and provide you with an instant relieving solution. 

Something Stuck Between Your Teeth- Generally, this happens with those people who have large gaps between their teeth. While eating, if something gets stuck between your teeth and it is not getting out of your teeth despite putting so much effort, use the dental floss. If you don’t have dental floss, use a thin thread between your teeth where the particle of food is stuck. 

If still the situation remains the same, visit the emergency dentist as soon as possible otherwise this problem will poke you again and again. 

So, these are some dental emergencies and instant solutions. Whenever you find yourself in any of these situations, just stay calm and wisely act by following the instructions as specified in this article. You will surely get instant relief. 

What Is Considered As A Dental Emergency?

When you have come across any dental problem, then you should call your dentist without any second thought. But what if you face a dental emergency late in the night, early in the morning or on weekends when most of the dentists are not available. If you are facing a severe dental problem after the normal working hours, you will likely need emergency dentist McKinney TX or even an emergency room visit.

Before you consider your problem as an emergency, you must first know whether it is a dental emergency or not. You must understand the difference between a standard dental problem that can wait till morning and a real emergency that can affect your health badly or cost you a tooth. Here are a few things you should know to recognize dental emergencies.

How To Know If It’s A Dental Emergency Or Not?

There are so many people who experience dental or oral pain, showing how common dental issues are. But still, not every dental situation is considered an emergency. To determine if your dental problem can wait to be seen by your dentist or if you need to take a trip to an emergency dentist McKinney TX, you must ask the below questions to yourself:

Are you in severe pain? If you have severe pain and experiencing bleeding, then these are signs of an emergency.

Have you lost a tooth? If you have lost a tooth in an accidental fall, then quick and instant treatment can potentially save your tooth.

Do you have a loose tooth? A loose tooth, even without pain, is a serious problem. You must see the dentist immediately.

Do you have an infection? An abscess or serious infection can be potentially dangerous, and treatment should not wait. If you notice swelling or knots on your gums or around your face, then it is an emergency situation.

Are you bleeding from the mouth? This is definitely a sign of an emergency.

In general, any dental problem that requires instant treatment to stop bleeding, lessen pain, or protect a tooth is deliberated as an emergency. If you have any of the above-mentioned symptoms, you may be going through a dental emergency. Call your emergency dentist McKinney TX straightaway and explain to them what has happened.

What Isn’t a Dental Emergency?

If your dental problem can wait until your dentist can see you, and you could wait for the next couple of days, then it is not a dental emergency. Sometimes your dental problem might appear critical to you, but you can in fact wait for a day or so for treatment. The best example to explain this is – if you have a chipped or cracked tooth and the fracture is very painful, then it is a dental emergency.  If it has left sharp fragments, then these need to be treated immediately as it can cause trauma inside your mouth. But if your chipped tooth is not hurting you, you can wait for a day or so to see your dentist.

Also, if you have a toothache that is not very severe, then you can wait for treatment. If you don’t have symptoms of an abscess such as high fever, swelling of the face or gums, then you could also wait for your treatment. Those who have lost a crown or filling can wait a few days to see their dentist.

Avoiding Potential Emergencies

The best way to prevent dental emergencies is to maintain your oral hygiene and get routine check-ups with your dentist. If you visit your dentist for regular check-ups, your dentist will check for loose fillings and crowns along with any signs of decay, infection, and gum disease. If you have gone for tooth extracted recently due to a dental emergency, make sure you follow your dentist’s home care instructions prudently to prevent risks, such as tooth or gum infection.

Generally, a dentist provides different kinds of dental services like:

·         Whitening For Life

·         Invisalign

·         All-On-Four

·         Implants

·         Cosmetic Dentistry

·         Veneers

·         Wisdom Teeth

·         Endodontic Treatment

·         Preventive Care

·         Teeth For Life

·         Sedation Dentistry

·         Pediatric Dentistry

Your dentist may suggest any of the above treatments instantly or in the near future by going through your current dental status. A good dentist always suggests his patient’s different ways through which they can maintain dental health and avoid dental emergencies like pain and infections. They also recommend them basic medicines that they can take in case of instant pains or swelling.

Many dentists offer comprehensive and preventive dental care based on advanced digital dentistry technology. They provide traditional patient-focused care and give treatments to achieve healthy results that last a lifetime.  They provide all the services that you would expect from a modern dental practitioner including implants, veneers, teeth whitening, sedation, and general dental care for the whole family. That’s why they call themselves as family dentists. They know that most of the patients visiting their clinic are fearful of dental treatment. That’s why they take additional care to make them feel comfortable and have a positive visiting experience. They want their patients to be so impressed so that they can refer their family and friends to experience genuine care.

Emergency Dental Situations For Which You Need An Expert Instantly

Just like any other health crises, dental emergencies also usually happen without giving you prior intimation. It is essential that you must know how to respond in a dental emergency as you can save every minute to reduce the severity of the dental problem. You must know whom you should call in case of dental emergencies and what you should do immediately after injury to make sure that you can get into action immediately. In certain situations, you have to act fast so that treatment should start as early as possible especially in case of accidents.

If you come across such an issue, you must contact the emergency dentist McKinney TX immediately. Call them and discuss what the problem is. Sometimes, they could help you through a call by guiding you on medicines that you could take in case of toothache. Telephonic consultations are possible if your dental issue is not severe and can be handled through medicines. But if you have gone through an accident or mouth injury, seeing a dentist personally is necessary. Let’s see the emergency dental situations that need to be taken care of instantly.   

ROOT CANALS

Every tooth has at least one root, but large molars in the back of your mouth can have up to four roots. Sometimes you have to experience inflammation and pain in your tooth which is caused due to abscess that can form a tooth’s root. In this case, a dentist cleans out the canals of the infected tooth, treat the abscess by filling the canal with a rubber-like material i.e. gutta-percha, cover it off with filling, and a tooth cap with a new crown to avoid breaking it. In some more complicated cases, you may consider an endodontist who is a root canal specialist.

CAVITY FILLINGS

Cavities are the holes in your teeth that are formed due to tooth decay. They are the major reason for toothaches and dental cavities which can further result in infections leading to tooth loss. Treating cavities in your tooth in the initial phase of decay may prevent unnecessary pain and expense. When you have a cavity, the decay is removed, the tooth is cleaned and a filling is added to make your tooth pain-free and as good as new.

CROWN TREATMENT

A dental crown is a cap that is put over a tooth to make it strong and look better. If you have sustained a tooth fracture, lost part of a crown, or if your dentist thinks that your crown needs to be changed, then you have to go for crown treatment and get a new tooth crown.

BRIDGE TREATMENT

Bridges are placed at a place where you have a missing tooth or multiple teeth. They can replace one or multiple teeth next to each other. Different from partial dentures, a bridge is everlastingly fixed in your mouth.

BROKEN TEETH

There could be several reasons for a tooth to chip, crack, or break due to a bad fall or blow. Though they are strong, but too much pressure can break them off. All your nerves get exposed when you have broken teeth that are extremely sensitive to hot or cold food and drinks. It limits the things that you can consume as it causes significant pain. A good dentist can repair the chips in the teeth using tooth-colored material, or by placing a crown over the tooth.

PERIODONTAL SCALING

Periodontal, or “gum” cleanings is a common treatment used to treat gum disease. Gum disease is caused by building up heavy plaque and tartar. Over time, plaque causes gum inflammation and bleed easily, which is known as gingivitis. Untreated gingivitis can turn into periodontal disease, causing teeth gums and making them loose & creating pockets in gums. This is a serious and very painful condition that can be treated with scaling or root planing.

COMMON EXTRACTIONS

Tooth removal is the last option that most of the dentists consider.  An emergency dentist McKinney TX will do its best to repair the tooth through a root canal or crowning. But, if a tooth has gone through too much loss, then extraction is the only option left with. It is done by administering local anesthesia to make sure you are comfortable throughout the extraction and do not feel pain at all.

SURGICAL EXTRACTIONS

Surgical extractions are occasionally essential for teeth that must be detached but cannot effortlessly be accessed by the dentist. Like common extractions, you will be given local anesthesia to make you comfortable during the procedure.

WISDOM TOOTH EXTRACTIONS

All of us either have or will soon have wisdom teeth. It is difficult to clean them or sometimes there is not enough space in your mouth for wisdom teeth to completely break through the gums. This may cause pain in that area. Sometimes, wisdom teeth can partly breakthrough, leaving a small space for decay to set in. Tooth decay can infect the wisdom tooth and surrounding areas and may result in considerable pain. If you are in pain due to different any of the above reasons associated with a wisdom tooth, then you would definitely need emergency dental care to treat the infection, and if necessary, extract the tooth.

ABSCESSES AND SWOLLEN JAW

An abscess is a swelling in the jaw, tooth or gums. Swelling can be caused due to a number of problems such as infected root canals, diseased gums, cavities, or even a broken jaw. Visit your dentist for a checkup as they will perform a thorough examination of your mouth, teeth, and gums to find and treat this problem.